Padres’ Chances of Acquiring Murphy Worsen

Just when the Padres thought their 50-50 chances of acquiring Atlanta center fielder Dale Murphy had gotten better, they have gotten considerably worse.

Shortly after the surprising news Tuesday that the New York Mets probably have dropped out of the Murphy sweepstakes because of a pending deal with Seattle--leaving the Padres as the only candidate for the Atlanta slugger--Braves General Manager Bobby Cox said the Padres can’t offer the established players the Braves would need.

“Right now, Murph is going to open the season right here with the Braves,” Cox said from the club’s training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla. “I don’t think (the Padres) have the players to give us. They don’t have a guy who is ready to play right now that we are sure of. We’d like to have more established people in return for Murph.”

“You know what he’s saying?” said one Padre official. “He’s saying he doesn’t want to trade the guy.”

According to Atlanta sources, Cox is saying that while top catching prospect Sandy Alomar Jr. would be welcomed in a deal, outfielders Carmelo Martinez and John Kruk might not be. Padre Manager Jack McKeon would trade either of those two, along with Alomar, for Murphy. But sources say the Braves are worried about Kruk’s recent knee operation, which has left him limping, and are worried that Martinez’s only suitable position is first base, currently occupied in Atlanta by Gerald Perry. The Braves were so worried about Kruk that they sent a scout to Yuma to check up on him.

Cox is not interested in pitching, and other than Martinez and Kruk, the only position players the Padre could afford to trade with Alomar are prospects such as outfielders Shawn Abner and Shane Mack, who do not interest Cox.

Cox said the Padres’ last hopes for any deal may rest with the visiting scout. “I gave the scout a list of players to look at, most of them fringe guys. Maybe he’ll tell us if they’re better than fringe. But unless these kids impress us early on in the spring, there will be no deal.”

Tuesday’s developments, which were spurred when Murphy met with Cox and asked that a decision on his future be made by March 15, were not exactly news to McKeon. When he phoned Cox Monday morning, he was informed that Cox was busy. McKeon still was waiting for a return phone call late Tuesday.

“He talks about established players, well, fine . . . which ones does he want?” McKeon said. “He’s never asked for anybody. We have never talked anybody. I’m ready to make a deal now, but he has to tell me who he wants.”

McKeon admitted that when it comes to established stars such as Tony Gwynn or Benito Santiago, he is not sure the Padre have anybody they can afford to lose.

“I want Murphy. I want to see if we can give them what they want,” McKeon said. “But I don’t want to make a big issue out of it, because I don’t want to break up what I have. With or without Murphy, we have a shot at winning this thing.”

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported Tuesday that the Mariners were on the verge of sending pitcher Mark Langston, outfielder Jay Buhner and minor league infielder Jim Bowie to the New York Mets for pitchers David West and Sid Fernandez, infielder Howard Johnson and a minor league pitcher. If they couldn’t get Murphy, the Padres had hoped to pick up Langston.